Saksuka, Turkish Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini
Turkish saksuka is a meze, a plate of eggplant, zucchini, and potato in a garlicky tomato sauce, and it should not be confused with the egg dish of the same rough name from further south. Traditionally every vegetable is deep-fried, which is exactly the step that makes it heavy and oily. Roasting them hard on a dry tray gives the same browned, tender pieces with none of the soaking, and eggplant in particular behaves far better this way. The sauce is just peppers, garlic, and tomato cooked down thick. It is meant to be made ahead and eaten at room temperature, with lemon squeezed over and, if you like, a spoon of plain plant yogurt on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Eggplant, cut into half-inch cubes
- 1 whole Zucchini, cut into half-inch cubes
- 1 whole Potatoes, cut into half-inch cubes
- 1 whole Bell peppers, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
Method
- Heat the oven to 450 F (230 C) and line two trays. Spread the eggplant, zucchini, and potato out in a single layer, keeping the potato on its own since it takes longest, and roast until browned and tender, about 25 minutes for the softer vegetables and 30 for the potato. Roasting dry gives the caramelized edges that fried saksuka is loved for, without the oil the vegetables would otherwise drink.
- While they roast, sweat the pepper and garlic in 2 tablespoons water in a wide pan for 3 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook it 2 minutes until it darkens. Cooking the paste until it deepens in color is what turns the sauce savory rather than raw and sharp.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until thick enough to hold a line when you drag a spoon through it. A loose sauce would leave the roasted vegetables swimming, so reduce it properly first.
- Fold the roasted vegetables gently into the sauce and warm together for 2 minutes, just to marry them. Folding rather than stirring hard keeps the soft eggplant and zucchini in pieces instead of mashing them into the sauce.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature, then stir through the parsley and lemon juice. Saksuka is a meze, always served cool, and the rest lets the flavors settle while the lemon sharpens it in place of salt.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 140 calories, 4 g protein, 7 g fiber, 40 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
